Rack



W. N. VANCE Aug. 25, 1931.

RACK

, Filed March 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1931.

llll' w. N. VANCE O. I [MW 1' 1 W2 11111 q if I 22" Patented Aug. 25,1931

, UNITED STATES PATE FO FFICE I WALTER N..VANCE, or NoR'rII AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T LYON METAL Prionuc'rs, INCORPORATED, or AURORA, ILLINoIs, ACORPORATION or ILLINoIs 7 An object RACK Application filed March15, 1929. Serial No. 347,242.

of this invention is to provide an all metal shelf rack in which the shelvlng isadjustably supported in height relatively to the upright members by adjustable supporting devices having plural engaging contactwith the upright members, thereby augmenting the resistance to shearing forces of the shelving supports and increasing resistance to distortion under heavy'loads.

Another object is to'provide supporting devices which may be simply andeconomically made and yet have the requisite strength to support the shelf and its load. 2

Another object is to provide an improved partition or wall structure for the shelving which is of great strength and adapts the rack for the support of unusually heavy loads.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention. will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof. I

Referring to the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative ty e of shelf rack to which the invention may e applied; g

. Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing shelves supportediby adjustable supporting devices constructed pursuant to the invention; 7 I

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional elevation taken longitudinally of the shelf rack;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view showing the end construction of the shelf rack, and i Fig. 6 is a horizontal section showing the end wall construction.

The illustrative shelf rack, as shown in Fig. 1, is constructed of three sections. The shelf rack comprises a pluralityof upright members 11, of which the extreme right andleft members provide the endwallsof a rack and the intermediate uprightmembers the vertical partitions 'for the several, sections. The partitions between the various sections are constructed, preferably, similarly to the end upright members, thereby facilitating ease of expansion of the shelf rack into an unlimited number of sections without increasing manufacturing costs.

Each upright member includes a, pair of tubular uprights 11 joined by an intermediate wall 12 made of a pair of mating panels of flangedmetal which, when assembled, are

of the same cross-sectional dimension as the end uprights 1,1. The longitudinal flanges 13 of the panel members 12 are bolted within the companion flanges 1 1 of the end uprights 11 by-bolts 15. Each tubular upright 11 is provided, preferably on two faces, with a series of holes 16 respectively. spaced apart equal distances and at the top with slots 17.,

Thisprovides a partition structure of great strength which makes the rack especially adaptable for the support of heavy loads.

The uprights 11 are spaced apart at the bottom of the rack by longitudinal front and rear girders 18, respectively, preferably made of'sheet metal provided with inturned flanges 19 extending longitudinally along their top and bottom edges. These girders 18 are also provided with inturned'fla nges'21 bent vertically from their opposite ends andprovided with a series of holes 22 spaced to register with the holes 16 in the uprights 11. Bolts or other suitable fastening devices 23 may be located within the registered holes 22 and 16 for the purpose of securely fastening the longitudinal girders 18 to the uprights 11.

The lowermost shelf 24 of the shelving system may rest upon the top of these girders 18 and is provided at each side with'a depending front to rear flange 26 which is bolted to'the central panel 12 by bolts 25.

The other shelves are constructed'similarly to the lowermost shelf but are adj ustably positioned relatively to the upright members.

flanges 26, but in the case of the front and rear uprights 11 and the top shelves are positioned on these supporting bars. The top shelves are preferably bolted through their side flanges 26 by bolts 31 to the connecting panels 12 of the upright members.

The intermediate shelves rest upon the adjustable supporting devices 32, which are adjustably mounted in the holes 16 of the uprights 11. Each ii'itermediate shelf is of course supported at the front and rear of both sides by a supporting device 32. 1

The supporting devices 32 are detachably positioned relatively to the uprights 11 and may be provided in any suitable number required by the number of shelves used. Each supporting device 32 may be constructed of metal in any preferred manner. It is preferably punched from sheet metal of thickness suflicicnt to give requisite strengh and rigidity. The body 37 of the supporting device is made of a length substantially equal to the distance between the top and bottom of a pair of adjacent holes 16 of an upright 11 and is provided at its upper end with a substantially horizontally extending arm or lug 34 terminating in an upwardly projecting lug 35. The top of the arm 34. provides a shoulder on which the top of a shelf 24 may rest and when the arm 3-l is inserted. into a hole 16 of the upright 11, the vertically projecting lug is located within the upright 11 and above the top of the hole 16, thereby preventing the supporting device 32 from dislocation with respect to its mounting.

At its bottom, the body 37 of the supporting device 32 is provided with a lug projecting in the same direction as the arm 34 and adapted to enter the lower of the pair of adjacentholes 16. This construction provides a plural contact of the supporting de-- Vice 32 with the upright 11, thereby augmenting resistance to shearing and increasing the resist-anceagainst dislocation or distortion under heavy loads applied to the supported shelving. The supporting device may be readily positioned in the desired holes 16 of the uprights 11 and dismounted as required by the adjustment of the intermediate shelving.

The manner of applying or removing a supporting device 32 in respectof an upright 11 is illustrated in Fig. at. The supporting device 82 is first positioned substantially horizontally, as shown in dotted lines, and the vertically projecting retaining lug 35 is inserted in the top member of a pair of adjacent holes 16. The supporting device is then swung downwardly into the verticallv depending position so that the arm 34 is engaged withln the top holes 16; the retaining lug 35 extends within the upright 11, and

the bottom lug 33 is projected into the botl5 tom hole 16 of the adjacent pair. So positioned, the supporting device has plural contact with the uprightmember 11, is securely held against accidental dislocation, and provides by its shoulder 36 an efiicient support for the intermediate shelving.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and 'ar-" rangemcnt of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore. described being merely a preferred V embodiment thereof. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly, as they may be advantageously employed'in variousv subcombinations and other combinations.

I claim:

1. In a shelf rack, the combination with side upright members, each comprising intermediate 1 connecting panels and tubular uprights, each said tubularuprights having a series of vertically arranged holes respectively spaced equal distances, of adjustableshelf supporting devices engageable within adjacent holes of said series,-each saidisup- ,with respect to said upright, and shelving supported at its four corners b'ysaid support ing. devices.

2. In a shelf lack, the combination of side upright'members, each comprising intermediate connecting panels and tubular end 'up' rights, each said tubularuprights having series of vertically arranged holes respec tively spaced at equal distances, of adjust able shelf supporting devices engageable within apair of said holes, each said supporting device comprising a body having at its upper end an arm entering one hole and terminating in a vertically extending'lug'projecting above the top of said hole and said body having at its bottom end a horizontally pro ecting lug entering the bottom hole, and shelving supported at its opposite ends by said supporting devices.

3. A shelf rack partition or wall construction comprising spaced uprightseach having integral flanges bent froinone side thereof, a wall structure arranged between a. pair of uprights and having integral flanges bent therefrom, the flanges on thewall structure adapted to engage the flanges on the'uprights, and means to fasten the fiangeson the .wall structure with the flanges on the up I rights.

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4:. A shelf rack partition or wall construction comprising spaced uprights panels for fastening the wall structure to the uprights.

5. A shelf rack partition or Wall construction comprising spaced hollow rectangular uprights formed from sheet metal and having integralflanges extending from one face r thereof, a wall structure arranged between uprights and comprising a pair of spaced panels, each panel having its ends bent to form inturned portions from which outwardly extending flanges are bent, the flanges on the panels and the flanges on the uprights overlapping, and fastening means passing through said flanges for fastening the wall structure to the uprights.

6. A shelf rack partition or wall construction comprising tubular spaceduprights, integral flanges bent from one face of the uprights and projecting outwardly therefrom, a wall structure comprising a pair of panels spaced apart the same distance as the width of an upright, the panels having outwardly extending flanges rights and panels being arranged inwardly from the outer surfaces thereof to provide vertical recesses on each face of the partition or wall structure, and fastening means passing through the flanges on the uprights and panels and arranged in the recesses.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WALTER N. VANCE, I

each having o adapted to engage the flanges on the uprights, the flanges on the up- 

